Police said the suspect in the shooting, Desmonte Leonard, is still at large and believed to be hiding somewhere in Montgomery. He is considered "armed and extremely dangerous." Leonard is wanted on three counts of capital murder.

Per an AL.com source, a fight reportedly broke out between several men at a party at the University Heights apartment complex clubhouse. Two of the men involved in the fight left and returned to the scene with guns and began shooting indiscriminately.

A witness, Turquorius Vines, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the shooting started over a girl. According to Vines, who is not an Auburn student, he was partying with several friends at the apartment complex when the shooting broke out.

“It was about a female,” Vines told the paper. “It started from a female. We were trying to get away from the trouble and it ended up right in our face.”

"[The party] went from us chilling with all these females to a massacre for no reason at all. It happened so quick, in about a second.”

Police emphasized that "the only connection the Auburn football team has to do this is they are victims of a brutal shooting."

Auburn issued the following statement on Sunday afternoon:

"We're deeply saddened about last night's tragic events that impacted the Auburn community and the Auburn family. Our heart-felt condolences go out to the victims and their families. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. We're in constant contact with area authorities and will continue to assist in any way possible. Our attention is now focused on providing care and support to those touched by this tragedy."

"This is a sad, sad day for everyone associated with the entire Auburn family. I am devastated by the passing of three young men, including two that I personally knew in Ed Christian and Ladarious Phillips and my heart goes out to their families. My thoughts and prayers are with their families and all of the victims involved in this tragic incident. Nobody should ever have to endure such unimaginable grief, and we will love and support the victims' families during this terribly difficult time. ... We are relieved that Eric Mack, who was also a victim in this incident, is expected to make a full recovery. This is a very trying time for everyone involved, and I would just ask that you lift up the victims and their families in your prayers."

All three of the players were part of Auburn's 2010 recruiting class. Christian stopped playing football because of a bad back and Phillips gave up the game. Mack is an offensive lineman.